OUR ISLAND, YOUR STORIES

Help Us Bring Kauaʻi’s Stories to Life Through Virtual Reality (VR)

Ka ʻImi Naʻauao O Hawaiʻi Nei Institute and Reflection.icu, in partnership with Hōʻike Kauaʻi Community Media, are excited to share an innovative grant proposal to create a Virtual Reality (VR) conservation experience for our island.

On Kauaʻi, we view nature as family — and our family faces growing threats to survival. This project will raise awareness, inspire our youth, and connect our community more deeply with conservation efforts to resist extinction.

Through immersive VR technology, the project will:

• Create a powerful island-based VR experience featuring Kauaʻi’s natural family.

• Install one permanent exhibit here on the island and develop a traveling exhibit that will reach schools and community spaces.

• Provide access to VR devices and educational materials that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive for many in our community.

• Train teachers and community members to use and sustain the exhibits.

This initiative will help preserve our culture and ignite a renewed sense of connectedness with the natural world for generations to come.

🌺 We need your support! Please take a moment to cast your vote for this proposal and help us bring this vision to life.

Forest Calls 2.0: Into the Realm VR Educational Exhibits

Mahalo for standing with Ka ʻImi Naʻauao O Hawaiʻi Nei Institute, Reflection.icu, and Hōʻike Kauaʻi Community Media to protect our island family and inspire future generations.

Peace Day Celebrations: Storybook Theatre & Soto Zen | THW Community Connections 09.12.2025

In this Community Connections spotlight, Storybook Theatre and Soto Zen Temple gear up for International Peace Day with a vibrant lineup of events for all ages across Kaua‘i. From a kava-for-peace ceremony and puppet shows for keiki, to Native American prayer ties, poetry open mics, and an international potluck, these organizations prove that peace is cultivated through culture, compassion, and community connection. ✨

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Help Shape the Future of Creative Careers on Kauaʻi

Hōʻike Kauaʻi Community Media is proud to be a partner in CREATE Hawaiʻi, a new apprenticeship program being designed to prepare youth for careers in media, storytelling, and content creation.

To make this program meaningful, we need your input! Whether you’re an organization, business, or community group, we want to hear from you. By completing a short survey, you’ll help us:

• Identify the media and content creation needs of our community

• Highlight real-world projects that youth can support

• Showcase the types of work opportunities available now and in the future

• Build a stronger pipeline of homegrown media talent to serve our island community

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts by Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Mahalo for helping us create opportunities that will inspire the next generation of storytellers on Kauaʻi!

🌺 Cast Your Vote to Bring Free, Live Music to Kauaʻi! 🎶

Now through September 15, you have the chance to help bring a three-year free live music series to Kauaʻi—and we need your vote to make it happen!

We’re excited to announce that RSBA has made it to the public voting phase for a Levitt Music Series Grant, a powerful opportunity that could bring vibrant, family-friendly outdoor concerts to our island in 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Out of over 300 proposals nationwide, just over 100 communities have advanced—and now it’s up to YOU to help decide who makes it into the Top 50 finalists.

🌟 How to vote:

• You can vote online or by text

• Choose up to 5 of your favorite proposals

• Be sure to include Kauaʻi in your picks!

If Kauaʻi makes it into the Top 50, we’ll be one step closer to receiving up to $120,000 from the Levitt Foundation to produce free concerts for all ages and backgrounds—celebrating our local talent, culture, and community.

🕔 Voting ends at 5:00 pm PT on September 15, 2025
📣 Spread the word—invite your friends, neighbors, and ʻohana to vote too!

Or text LIHUE to 1-877-409-5525

September Vibes! Peace, Culture & Community on Kaua‘i | Sept 15–21 THW Community Calendar

This week’s Community Calendar is packed with concerts, conferences, cultural events, and community connections — from Kenny Endo’s 50th Anniversary Taiko performance to the Ola Pono o Kaua‘i Conference, and the International Day of Peace celebrations.

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